Too Late
by Nina Vale
Summary: What if Metz had died before Dante and his team defeated the Organization and sent legendary titans back?How will Dante react,how will he feel about his past attempts? Will he find some comfort in onother? DxZ .angst,tragedy,romance,hurt/comfort AU-ish


I do not own Huntik. It belongs to Big Bocca, Ingino Strafii and Rainbow distribution. I do not profit from this in anyway either. It's totally free to read and review. 

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**Outside Professor's castle. Prague. Czech Republic.**

Huntik team walked out of the caste. Lok Lambert had his one arm wrapped around Sophie Casterwill and with the other he was holding her hand. Side-by-side with them were walking Dante Vale and Zhalia Moon. The russet haired man was walking slightly behind his partner with one of his hand resting on her shoulder, also she was wearing his trademark raincoat. They stopped and looked at each other smiling. They just did the unbelievable, the thing many seekers and Foundation tried to do for years. They defeated Organization once and for all.

"we won't catch any flight to Venice tonight" said Dante looking at his team "we should go and spent it at the hotel"

The others nodded. They walked out of the castle and on the street. Sophie called a taxi and gave the driver the address of Foundation hotel in Prague. Beep, beep. Rang Dante's cell phone. He blinked few times a bit surprised but he quickly picked up when he saw the number

"Guggenheim" he said "hey"

"you're still in Prague?" asked Swiss

"yes, and we just finished our mission with success" the last words russet haired male said in a whisper, so the taxi driver wouldn't hear.

"we know. Dante I have some news" said Guggenheim, his voice was unenthusiastic and quiet "it's about Metz"

Amber eyed man stiffed, at that and felt his heartbeat increase

"he had died I'm sorry" continued Swiss "he passed on just when you landed in Prague"

Dante felt his eyes widen and heart sink. This news hit him pretty hard and he couldn't hide what he was feeling His friends looked at him worried and alerted.

"Dante?" asked Guggenheim "are you there?"

"y-yeah" said russet haired male

"The funeral will take place in two, three days" was the answer ". You will come back till then?"

"yeah" nodded Dante "yeah we will. Thank you. Guggenheim"

"well goodbye then" said the older man "and as I said I'm so sorry"

"bye" said amber eyed top agent as he switched the phone of.

"Dante?" asked Lok worriedly "what happened?"

"I'll tell you at the hotel" said his mentor, making other three seekers even more worried. Soon the taxi stopped in front of said place. Dante paid the bill, and walked out. Still in that gloomy state. His friends followed him looking at each other and at him. Zhalia bit her lip. She already suspected what the news where.

'It must be hard for him' she thought 'Metz was not only his mentor, he was like a father to him…'

They entered the hotel and their leader asked for the rooms. Then he gave them the keys

"Dante" said Sophie "you were, about to tell us what happened? What Guggenheim wanted?"

"Metz died" said amber eyed man bowing his head

"what? But how? When?" asked both teenagers shocked. They couldn't believe it. Of course Metz was ill but still

"just when we landed in Prague" was the answer

"what about the Foundation?" asked Lok

"Guggenheim will take care of it" said Dante with colorless tone "he is the second in charge. When the leader dies. The second in charge takes his place"

"that's good…I guess" said Sophie looking down "I…um…we're…so..,sorry Dante…"

"It's alright" he said looking away "now let's get some sleep…we'll need it"

With that he left them and headed to his own room. Three other seekers stayed behind looking at their feet

"well I guess we should go" said Casterwill heiress "come on"

They went upstairs in silence. None of them wanted to talk. The news were so grave, they also felt sorry for Dante because they knew how much he cared about his mentor.

**Dante**

He was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling, he was still shocked by the news. Metz raised him and had always been like a father to russet haired man and now he was dead.…all those memories flashed before Dante's eyes

_flashback_

_Six years old Dante Vale stood __in front of a fresh grave. His parents grave. They died in car accident. _

"_Dante" his parents' friend Metz put his hand on boy's shoulder "come on, we should be going"_

_Russet haired boy nodded. His parents left him in Metz's care. Now a new life awaited him. Metz was about to teach him how to be a seeker. A thing his parent's didn't live to do._

_***some time later****_

"_Metz, Metz" young Dante ran towards his mentor "I did it! I did it! I invoked my first titan"_

_Soulwing was floating in the air just above him. _

"_Isn't he great?" asked boy proudly_

"_well done Dante" said Metz "and a titan you found all by yourself. Soulwing will be a good friend. But you need a fellow warrior who will fight by your side when troubles finds you"_

_Older man pulled out an amulet from his pocket_

"_his name is Caliban" he said._

_******another memory flash*******  
_

_Dante was a bit older now. In his late teens. He wanted to go on a mission, but Metz insisted he went with someone else_

"_Metz why can't I do it alone?" asked russet haired boy _

" _seekers can succeed alone" explained Metz "but only in team is their true victory"_

_Dante sighed. Maybe Metz was right after all._

"_ok" he said "let's get going"_

_******another memory flash******_

_Dante ran into Faudation hospital. Guggenheim just called him. It was about Metz_

"_what happened?" asked foundation top agent._

_Swiss looked at him with some kind of sadness in his eyes_

"_mission went wrong" he said "Metz…he…"_

"_what? Spill it out Guggenheim" young man was rather anxious now _

"_he…he got cursed by Legendary titan of body" blonde man hung his head _

"_but there is a cure right?" asked Dante _

"_no" shook his head second in command "I'm ever so sorry. We still don't have a cure for such curses...just like with Simon it will get worse until…."_

"_no" russet haired man clenched his fist "I won't allow it! There must be some way to cure him! And I'll find it no matter how long it will take!"_

_Guggenheim watched him with worry and shook his head._

_******another memory flash******_

_Dante stood in front of the window in Metz's house. His teeth set. Metz was lying on the bed, with all those machines attached to him. Amber eyed man clenched his fist. For years he had been looking for some kind of cure. Bu he couldn't find any. He walked towards the bed and sat in the chair near it. Taking his 'father's' hand into his_

"_I'm meeting a black market contact" he said "he has some new medical options for you. Just hold on"_

"_I'm fine" answered Metz "don't worry about me Dante"_

"_Metz, you have so much more to do as chairman of the Huntik foundation!" said protested Dante "I swear I cure you no matter what the cost" _

_With that he got up. And left. He had to cure his father and friend. _

_******another memory flash******_

_Dante brought Metz those, medicines from Vienna. But they didn't work as he expected. Metz felt better but only in the beginning, and it wasn't much of improvement. His nurse said that those medicines will only delay the process by some time. Few days or so. Dante sank in his chair. Why wasn't anything working? Maybe…_

'_no' he thought 'there MUST be some way to cure him and I'll find it. I swear!"_

_He sighed. Next day they had a mission to Greece in search of Argo. Maybe there lied some hope…._

_******another memory flash******_

_The twilight fell on the small island on Aegean sea. Dante sighed, he hoped so much to find a cure here. When Medea told him she had a cure…he was so happy and hopeful. He really believed that this time he will succeed in finding a cure. That this time it will work. But it was just an illusion, a defensive tactic that played with his senses. And fooled him. The plant he was holding in his hand disappeared. Zhalia walked towards him…_

"_It's not over Metz" he said. He knew that he will try and fight until he succeeds. There was no way to turn back…_

_******another memory flash******_

_Dante visted Metz again. Just before his mission to Romania. He still hoped to find a cure. _

"_Maybe in Romania there will be something…maybe those titans…" he started_

"_Dante…"violent coughs shook Metz's body, and he spoke in horse voice. "titans locked away in Vlad Dracul's castle are dangerously close to fall into professor's hands, and you are hoping *cough, cough* that the mission would be to find a cure for my illness…." The coughs got more violent and the nurse rushed to her patient's side "_

"_yes your life is more important" said Dante_

"_Dante your first priority must always be to fight evil" repealed older man in coarse voice as he coughed again "just remember…"_

_Dante watched him with sadness and worry in his amber eyes…how could Metz tell him something like that? _

_******another memory flash******_

_Dante walked into Metz's room. It was dark. His bed curtain was drew, and the machine was beeping. _

"_Metz?" asked russet haired man "can you hear me?_

_His mentor gave him his hand shakily. It was covered in marks_

"_I had no idea it had gotten so bad" he wishpered as he took it. Metz passed him something. It was a key, a key and a map. Dante nodded. He knew that his friend wanted him to find something important. He walked out. There he met Metz's nurse._

"_There must be a cure for this curse somewhere" he said looking at the map and key_

"_so you say" said the woman before him skeptically "what I hope you're not going to tromp half way across the world because a delusional old man handed you a map to who know where"_

"_based on this coast line" he answered "I'd say turkey"_

_*********end*********_

Dante shook his head and stood up. Those memories were just making it more difficult instead of easing the pain. He needed to take a walk. He went out of his room. He headed towards the balcony, and went out. Warm, wind blew in his face. The evening was rather nice. Not too hot. Not too cool.

'it was all in vain' thought russet haired man looking at the city of Prague 'everything….'

New wave of memories hit him, but now from different angle. All those dangers….Medea island, Vienna, Prague…all of those dangers he put everyone…especially Zhalia in…now it hit him how easily he could have lost her, what dangerous game he had been playing with her life.

"Dante?" a very familiar voice woke him up from those dwellings. He didn't need to turn to know who was it, and why she was here. Zhalia walked towards him, and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Can't sleep?" she asked

"It turned out funny had it not?" he asked sighing "just look, I did everything in my power to find the way to cure him and it all was for nothing. Pathetic huh? Chasing a stupid fantasy that will never come true. As a leader I failed."

"Don't say that" she whispered "it's not true"

"Yes it is" he shook his head "What kind of leader would put his missions and most importantly his team in so many deadly dangers for a mare fantasy? Because that was what I did. I put you all in so many dangers. Take for example Medea island. As a leader I should have been more on guard. Lok and Sophie had right to fall into that trap. They are inexperienced, but me? I'm much longer in this business. I should have smelled the rat. But I didn't I fell in just like them. I followed illusion. I was deaf and blind. I refused to believe you when you came to warn me…you saw there was something wrong but I was so caught up in fantasy that I refused to face reality. I dismissed you and I left you to fight dangerous and powerful mind weapon all on your own. You could have died or it could have destroy you forever mentally…"

"you passed out" she reminded him "you couldn't possibly help me"

"but I wouldn't have passed out if I was on my guard" he shook his head again "I should have been there with you, fighting by your side. Instead I was chasing fantasies"

Zhalia looked at him worriedly. She didn't know what to do or say, so she just let him continue

"Vienna" he continued "I went off for those medicals that didn't even help much for a longer period of time. Organization could have killed you and they would. Defoe wouldn't hesitate to do so, and once again we owned everything to you. If you haven't used King Basilisk…and once again I failed as a leader"  
He was speaking more and more quietly, His companion also noticed that his hands clenched into fists on the balustrade.

"and today" he said "today was total disaster. I just gave up the titans to Professor, to our deadliest enemy, I had let my teammates fight each other, and then I just slumped down on the floor and did nothing to make up for that mistake. Once again I put you in danger…especially you. Once again I made you fight for my and your lives in a fight you had no chances to win. Here I failed not only as a leader but as a man to. What kind of man allows a situation when the woman he loves brakes down and cries? And what I did it for? For a mirage that wasn't ever going to be reality"

Zhalia bit her lip. She had never seen him like this, never heard him speaking with such hatred towards himself. It hurt her so much to see him in such pain. Dante clenched his fist even harder as his hands started to tremble and tears appeared in his eyes. It was then when dark haired woman decided to act. She once again put her hand on his shoulder, making him turn to face her. She came closer and pulled her arms around him.

"it's not true" she whispered into his ear "you're a great leader and man Dante. You believed in me and trusted me like nobody else, you had forgiven me straight away without doubt and asking me for the whole story. You took me in after my apartment blew up. You always were there to help us when we fell into trouble, you always had a plan. If you haven't come just in time in those catacombs Defoe would have defeated me. In Vienna, remember I was only capable of bonding with King Basilisk because you provided a distraction. On Medea island I would be lost if you haven't come in last minute, in Ethiopia this titan would have killed me if it wasn't for you. Today too. Dante if you haven't come to my rescue so many times I as well as Lok and Sophie would be six feet under. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be able to do those things I have done and remember that no matter what you do and what decisions you make, I'm always going to be there to support you"

Dante was silent during whole this speech. Partly because he still felt down but mostly because her actions took him completely by surprise. But soon he recovered and hugged her tightly and burring his face in her hair, for the first time in years, letting his emotions go. Zhalia just tightened her embrace, and said nothing.

"thank you" she heard him whisper "for being here"

Above them, far away on the deep-blue sky stars twinkled silvery.  
_

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Gosh….that was horrible…especially the stars part…my god I think I'm getting poetic, again…too much poetry in life is not good…please however R&R and no flames please….


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